The judge laughed at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' response after asking the rapper how he was feeling during his trial.
Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested on September 16 and is facing five serious federal charges: racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
On Tuesday, June 24, his defense team rested their case without calling a single witness, signalling confidence in their strategy.
Despite the weight of the allegations against him, Combs - who has has pleaded not guilty - remained composed when Judge Arun Subramanian asked how he was feeling
“I’m doing great, your honor. I’ve been wanting to tell you thank you, you’re doing an excellent job," the 55-year-old responded, PEOPLE reported.
The comment prompted a rare chuckle from the bench as Subramanian laughed in response.
According to the outlet, the exchange came just before Combs’ legal team formally rested their case after only 23 minutes, choosing to enter into the record a series of text messages between the business mogul and his former partner, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, rather than bring forward any witnesses.
“You think you can [Freak‑Off] without getting high? Lol,” he allegedly wrote in one of the messages read aloud in court. Ventura allegedly replied, “Yeah I’ll just have to be at my level and what is good for me.”
The prosecution did not offer a rebuttal.
Prosecutors concluded their case earlier on the same day after 29 days of testimony and 34 witnesses, including several women who accused the 'I'll Be Missing You' rapper of abuse, among them Ventura, with whom he had an 11-year relationship.
In a strategic move on Wednesday (June 25), federal prosecutors dropped three elements of the racketeering conspiracy charge - arson, kidnapping, and aiding and abetting sex trafficking - in an effort to “streamline” jury instructions, per The Independent.
The government is still pursuing the racketeering count, now focused on forced labor and sex trafficking.
In response, Combs' attorney Alexandra Shapiro argued for a full acquittal, calling the government’s case insufficient.
She challenged the kidnapping allegation involving Capricorn Clark, a former employee who testified about being detained and threatened during multiple lie detector tests, arguing there was no evidence that Combs was aware or involved.
The lawyer also dismissed the arson accusation from rapper Scott Mescudi, known as Kid Cudi, who claimed Combs firebombed his Porsche in 2012 over a past relationship with Ventura.
She noted that Mescudi did not witness the incident, and DNA evidence on the incendiary device was linked to an unidentified female, not Combs.
Closing arguments are scheduled for Thursday, June 26, with jury deliberations expected to begin as early as Friday or early next week.